Chapter 9

6 min

The aeroplane which had carried Josaphat away from Metropolis swam in the golden air of the setting sun, rushing towards it at a tearing speed, as though fastened to the westward sinking ball by metal cords.

The plane carrying Josaphat away from Metropolis glided through the golden light of the setting sun. It raced toward the sun at breakneck speed, as if metal cables tied it to the sinking ball.

Josaphat sat behind the pilot. From the moment when the aerodrome had sunk below them and the stone mosaic of the great Metropolis had paled away into the inscrutable depths, he had not given the least token that he was a human being with the faculty for breathing and moving. The pilot seemed to be taking a pale grey stone, which had the form of a man, with him as freight and, when he once turned around, he looked full into the wide-open eyes of this petrified being without meeting a glance or the least sign of consciousness.

Josaphat sat behind the pilot. The airfield had sunk below them, and the stone mosaic of the great Metropolis had faded into the unfathomable depths. Since then, he had shown no sign that he was a human being capable of breathing and moving. The pilot seemed to be carrying a pale gray stone shaped like a man as cargo. When the pilot turned around, he looked straight into the petrified figure's wide-open eyes. They gave no answering look or the slightest sign of consciousness.

Nevertheless Josaphat had intercepted the movement of the pilot’s head with his brain. Not immediately. Not soon. Yet the vision of this cautious, yet certain and vigilant movement remained in his memory until he at last comprehended it.

Nevertheless, Josaphat had registered the movement of the pilot’s head. Not immediately. Not soon. Yet the image of that cautious, certain, and watchful movement stayed in his memory until he finally understood it.

Then the petrified image seemed to become a human being again, whose breast rose in a long neglected breath, who raised his eyes upwards, looking into the empty greenish-blue sky and down again to the earth which formed a flat, round carpet, deep down in infinity—and at the sun which was rolling westwards like a glowing ball.

Then the petrified figure seemed to become human again. His chest rose as he took a long, overdue breath. He looked up into the empty greenish-blue sky, then down at the earth, a flat, round carpet deep in infinity. He looked at the sun, rolling westward like a glowing ball.

Last of all, however, at the head of the pilot who sat before him, at the airman’s cap which turned, neckless, into shoulders filled with a bull-like strength and a forceful calm.

Lastly, however, at the head of the pilot sitting in front of him, at the pilot’s cap and the broad shoulders beneath it, with no neck between them. Those shoulders had a bull-like strength and a powerful calm.

The powerful engine of the aeroplane worked in perfect silence. But the air through which the aeroplane tore was filled with a mysterious thunder, as though the dome of heaven were catching up the roaring in the globe and throwing it angrily back again.

The airplane’s powerful engine ran in perfect silence. But the air it tore through was filled with a mysterious thunder. It was as though the dome of heaven were catching the roar in the world and angrily throwing it back.

The aeroplane hovered homelessly above a strange earth, like a bird not able to find its nest.

The airplane hovered above unfamiliar land, like a bird unable to find its nest. It had no home.

Suddenly, amid the thunder of the air, the pilot heard a voice at his left ear saying, almost softly:

Suddenly, amid the roar of the air, the pilot heard a voice speaking almost softly into his left ear:

“Turn back....”

The head in the airman’s cap was about to bend backwards. But at the first attempt to do so it came in contact with an object of resistance, which rested exactly on the top of his skull. This object of resistance was small, apparently angular and extraordinarily hard.

The man in the airman’s cap was about to tilt his head back. But as soon as he tried, he hit something resting right on top of his skull. The object was small, apparently angular, and extraordinarily hard.

“Don’t move!” said the voice at his left ear, which was so soft, yet making itself understood through the thunder of the air. “Don’t look round, either! I have no revolver with me. Had I had one handy I should probably not be here. What I have in my hand is an implement the name and purpose of which are unknown to me. But it is made of solid steel and quite sufficient to smash in your skull with should you not obey me immediately.... Turn back!”

“Don’t move!” said the voice at his left ear. It was soft, yet he could hear it through the thunder of the air. “Don’t look around, either! I don’t have a gun. If I’d had one handy, I probably wouldn’t be here. What I have in my hand is a tool. I don’t know its name or what it’s for. But it’s solid steel, and I can smash your skull with it if you don’t obey me immediately.... Turn back!”

The bull-like shoulders under the airman’s cap raised themselves in a short, impatient shrug. The glowing ball of the sun touched the horizon with an inexpressibly light hovering movement. For a few seconds it seemed to dance along it in soft, blazing rhythm. The nose of the aeroplane was turned towards it and did not alter its course by a hand’s breadth.

The bull-like shoulders beneath the airman’s cap rose in a quick, impatient shrug. The glowing sun touched the horizon with an indescribably light, hovering motion. For a few seconds, it seemed to dance along the horizon in a soft, blazing rhythm. The plane’s nose pointed toward the sun and did not shift its course by a hand’s breadth.

“You do not seem to have understood me,” said the voice behind the pilot. “Turn back! I wish to return to Metropolis, do you hear? I must be there before nightfall ... well?”

“You don't seem to understand me,” said the voice behind the pilot. “Turn back! I want to return to Metropolis, do you hear? I must be there before nightfall ... well?”

“Shut your mouth,” said the pilot.

“For the last time, will you obey or will you not—?”

“For the last time, will you obey or not?”

“Sit down and keep quiet, back there ... damn it all, what do you mean by it—?”

“Sit down and keep quiet back there ... Damn it, what do you mean by that?”

“You won’t obey—?”

“You won’t obey?”

“What the hell....”

A young girl, turning the hay in a wide, undulating field, by the last light of the setting sun, had sighted the rushing bird above her, in the evening sky and was watching it with eyes heated by work and tired by the summer.

A young girl was turning hay in a wide, rolling field by the last light of the setting sun. She spotted a bird rushing across the evening sky above her. She watched it with eyes hot from work and tired from the summer.

How strangely the aeroplane was rising and falling! It was making jumps like a horse that wants to shake off its rider. Now it was racing towards the sun, now it was turning its back upon it. The young girl had never seen so wild and unruly a creature in the air before. Now it had swung westwards and was dashing in long, spurting bounds along the sky. Something freed itself from it; a broad, silver-grey cloth, which swelled itself out.

How strangely the airplane rose and fell! It bucked like a horse trying to throw its rider. One moment it raced toward the sun. The next, it turned its back on it. The young girl had never seen such a wild, unruly creature in the air before. Now it swung west and raced across the sky in long, sudden leaps. Something came free from the airplane. It was a broad piece of silver-gray cloth that billowed outward.

Drifted hither and thither by the wind, the silver-grey cloth fluttered down to earth—in the webs of which a gigantic, black spider seemed to be hanging.

Blown back and forth by the wind, the silver-grey cloth fluttered to the ground. A gigantic black spider seemed to be hanging in its web.

Screaming, the young girl began to run. The great, black spider spun itself lower and lower on the thin cords. Now it was already like a human being. A white, death-like face bent earthwards. The earth curved itself gently towards the sinking creature. The man left go of the cord and leaped. And fell. Picked himself up again. And fell once more.

Screaming, the young girl began to run. The great black spider lowered itself on the thin cords. Now it already looked like a human being. A white, deathlike face bent toward the ground. The earth curved gently toward the descending creature. The man let go of the cord and jumped. He fell. He picked himself up. Then he fell again.

Like a snow-cloud, gentle and shimmering, the silver-grey cloth sank over him, quite covering him.

Like a gentle, shimmering snow cloud, the silver-gray cloth settled over him, covering him completely.

The young girl came running up.

The young girl ran up.

She was still screaming, wordlessly, breathlessly, as though these primitive shrieks were her actual language. She bundled the silver silken cloth up before her young breast with both arms in order to bring the man who lay beneath it into the light again.

She was still screaming, without words or breath, as if those primal shrieks were her actual language. She gathered the silver silk cloth against her young breast with both arms, bringing the man beneath it into the light again.

Yes, he lay there now, stretched out at his length on his back, and the silk which was so strong as to have borne him tore under the grip of his fingers. And where his fingers lost hold of the silk, to find another patch which they could tear, there remained moist, red marks upon the stuff, such as are left behind by an animal that had dipped its paws into the blood of its enemy.

Yes, he lay there now, stretched out on his back. The silk was strong enough to have supported him, but it tore under his grip. When his fingers let go to find another patch to tear, they left damp red marks on the fabric. The marks were like those left by an animal that had dipped its paws in its enemy’s blood.

The girl was silenced by the sight of these marks.

The girl fell silent when she saw the marks.

An expression of horror came into her face, but, at the same time, an expression such as mother-beasts have when they scent an enemy and do not want to betray themselves nor their offspring in any way.

Horror appeared on her face. But at the same time, she looked like a mother animal that senses an enemy and does not want to give herself or her young away.

She clenched her teeth together so forcibly that her young mouth became quite pale and thin. She knelt down beside the young man and lifted his head into her lap.

She clenched her teeth so hard that her young mouth turned pale and thin. She knelt beside the young man and lifted his head into her lap.

The eyes opened in the white face which she was holding. They stared into the eyes which were bending over them. They glanced sideways and searched across the sky.

The eyes opened in the pale face she was holding. They stared into the eyes leaning over them. Then they glanced sideways, searching the sky.

A rushing black point in the scarlet of the westerly sky, from which the sun had sunk....

A black speck rushing across the scarlet western sky, where the sun had set....

The aeroplane....

The airplane....

Now it had indeed carried out its will and was flying towards the sun, further and further westward. At its wheel sat the man who would not turn back, as dead as could be. The airman’s cap hung down in shreds from the gaping skull, on to the bull-like shoulders. But the fists had not lost hold of the wheel. They still held it fast....

Now it had carried out its will and was flying toward the sun, farther and farther west. At the wheel sat the man who would not turn back, completely dead. His airman’s cap hung in shreds from his gaping skull, down to his bull-like shoulders. But his fists had not let go of the wheel. They still held it tight....

Farewell, pilot....

Goodbye, pilot....

The face which lay in the young girl’s lap began to smile, began to ask.

The face resting in the young girl’s lap began to smile, then began to ask.

Where was the nearest town?

There was no town, far and wide.

There was no town anywhere nearby.

Where was the nearest railway?

There was no railway, far and wide.

There was no railway anywhere nearby.

Josaphat pushed himself up. He looked about him.

Josaphat pushed himself up. He looked around.

Stretching out far and wide were fields and meadows, hemmed in by forests, standing there in their evening stillness. The scarlet of the sky had faded away. The crickets chirped. The mist about the distant, solitary willows brewed milky white. From the hallowed purity of the great sky the first star appeared with still glimmer.

Fields and meadows stretched far and wide, bordered by forests in the stillness of evening. The scarlet sky had faded. Crickets chirped. Milky white mist gathered around the distant, solitary willows. In the sacred purity of the vast sky, the first star appeared, glimmering quietly.

“I must go,” said the man with the white, death-like face. “You must rest, first,” said the young girl.

“I have to go,” said the man with the pale, deathlike face. “You need to rest first,” said the young girl.

The man’s eyes looked up at her in astonishment. Her clear face, with its low, unintelligent brow and its beautiful, foolish mouth stood out, as if under a dome of sapphire, against the sky which curved above her.

The man looked up at her in astonishment. Her clear face stood out against the sky curving above her, as if beneath a sapphire dome. She had a low, unintelligent brow and a beautiful, foolish mouth.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” asked the man.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?” the man asked.

“No,” said the young girl.

The head of the man fell into her lap. She bent forward and covered up the shivering body with the billowing, silver silk.

The man's head fell into her lap. She leaned forward and covered his shivering body with the billowing silver silk.

“Rest ...” said the man with a sigh.

“Rest ...” the man said with a sigh.

She made no reply. She sat quite motionless.

She didn't reply. She sat completely still.

“Will you awaken me,” asked the man—and his voice quavered with weariness—“as soon as the sun comes?”

“Will you wake me as soon as the sun rises?” the man asked. His voice trembled with exhaustion.

“Yes,” said the young girl. “Keep quiet....”

“Yes,” said the girl. “Keep quiet....”

He sighed deeply. Then he lay still.

It grew darker and darker.

In the far distance a voice was to be heard, calling a name, long drawn out, again and again.

Far in the distance, a voice called a name, drawing it out again and again.

The stars stood glorious above the world. The distant voice was silent. The young girl looked down upon the man whose head lay in her lap. In her eyes was the never sleeping watchfulness which one sees in the eyes of animals and of mothers.

The stars shone gloriously above the world. The distant voice was silent. The young girl looked down at the man whose head lay in her lap. Her eyes held the constant watchfulness seen in the eyes of animals and mothers.